Wouldn't that be funny if like, someone splashed water (or coffee?) on their shirt and while changing it (and thus it was off), managed to survive the horror that killed everyone else?
And then did it again, and again, and again - until eventually they realized that it was literally a fundamental law in the universe that redshirts die, not just bc they are security and thus the first line of defense, but literally because they wear red shirts!?
TNG explored that thought I suppose, several times, especially with the Moriarty story arc.
I just love thinking about things like that :-P.
In the case of redshirts, it would be unethical to test the premise empirically though.
Scotty is definitely an aberration. If someone did live inside the Matrix or holodeck, it would be quite difficult to prove, having to jump all the way from one method of thinking (peak) through a huge local minimum all the way to the next peak, without benefit of smaller steps to help. In this case, what I mean is that "redshirts often die" is itself only a first order approximation of the real underlying truth: that there is a main cast of characters, a secondary cast that may repeat, and then the redshirts who are literally fated to die. He do be just THAT awesome, yes!
Commander Riker: Let's beam down to the surface. By the way, Lieutenant McMichaelson, congratulations on your upcoming wedding! I understand that as soon as we're back from this no-doubt totally routine away mission, you and your soon-to-be bride are going away to meet her parents on Lovely Wholesome Vacation World Alpha 7.
Lieutenant McMichaelson: [dawning horror of narrative awareness noises]